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REPLACING OUR AARP CREDIT CARDS WITH BARCLAY BANK CARDS - SEE POSTSCRIPT WRITTEN 09/21/21 and 09-24

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REPLACING OUR AARP CREDIT CARDS WITH BARCLAY BANK CARDS - SEE POSTSCRIPT WRITTEN 09/21/21 and 09-24

Has anyone else been concerned about the closing of our current AARP credit cards and its effect on our credit scores? We've had our VISA for many years and have built a lot of history with them. Now AARP is going to CLOSE those accounts and replace them with a new one that won't have any history. Just closing the account will lower our scores significantly. We, for one, don't want to use the Barclay cards, which offer significantly less rewards, so the total amount of our credit will be reduced, another factor in the building of our credit scores.

 

What do you think?

 

POST-  Postscript 09-21-21: To head off what I was sure would be a catastrophe, and after looking up references on Barclay, we created a new Chase CC account (on August 12th, received it on the 15th), set up our auto-pay bills, and set up the new account for auto-pay from our bank. We paid off the balance on the old AARP account by 09-08-21, and cashed in all our rewards. Then today, we activated the Barclay account (online) and immediately canceled it (by automated phone call). We're in the process of setting up a second Chase card to compensate for the first CC account lower credit limit. Guess we're  lucky to have managed to get through to our Barclay account. Keep trying, folks, and don't hold back on your comments to both companies. They certainly could have done a better job of planning all this. Giving their customers a voice in the choice should have been STEP NUMBER ONE.

 

AND yet another POSTSCRIPT on 09-24: Today Barlcays was daring enough to send us a 'welcome' email with a reminder to activate our card, to which we replied,

 

"Thanks, but no thanks!

 
We didn't, and don't, want your card. We have already activated and immediately cancelled our Barclay cards.
 
For those poor folks who are, to this day, still trying to activate their card or just talk to a live person at your company, we extend our sympathy. Your company has made what should have been a direct and automated process so overly labor-intensive for so many seniors that you won't soon be forgotten or forgiven.
 
Shame on AARP for choosing you and shame on you for being so ill-prepared to handle the conversion.
 
Signed, 'notsoyoung'
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Newbie

I am very disappointed with the change to the Barclay Mastercard.  I did not give AARP permission to give out my personal information to Barclay bank and I was not asked if I wanedt the Barclay Card.  I plan on not renewing my membership with AARP. 

 

Cancelled the Barclay  the minute I was notified by AARP.  The Barclay card still showed up on my credit report.  After closing the Barclay card, they still sent me a statement.  I called trying to contract someone at the Barclay help phone number and was on hold about one hour and still I hung up, decided not to wait any longer.

 

All I can say is "Bad move AARP."

 

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Regular Contributor

@LarryS24255 

AARP Member Benefits Team here to help. We certainly understand your concern regarding the service provided by Barclays. We’d be happy to forward your concern to the Escalation team we work with at Barclays for their thorough review and investigation if you’d like. To do this, we will need more information. Please send me a private message in the AARP Online Community by clicking this link and entering my username, “AARPLakeisha” into the “Send to” box https://community.aarp.org/t5/notes/composepage. Please provide the following details in your message:

  • Your first & last name
  • AARP membership number (or home address)
  • Best contact phone number

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate you informing us of your concern. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Periodic Contributor

I agree. I never even got through after a 2 hour hold. could not activate barclays card. No help from AARP either except to say try again later. this is the worst thing AARP could have done for their senior consumers

 

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Periodic Contributor

I have lost all faith in AARP.  Clearly they do NOT have an interest in what happens to seniors.  This credit card debacle will cost off of us.  Shame on AARP.

 

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I’ve been on hold for 2 1/2 hours .......It dumped me because of ‘ birthdate not recognized’ after submitting it correctly twice ......and no instructions as to how to word it .......This is both aggravating and disturbing .....we now have NO credit card ......why would AARP subject members to this ?? Many aren't able to handle online or mobile transactions to start with .....why would there be only one day for all holders to switch ?????? We will most likely get a different provider .....

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Community Concierge

@JillianF405374 Thanks for that update. Some of Barclays’ customer-facing channels have been reported as down and/or experiencing extended hold times. Some customers cannot service any of their requests online or via telephony, including AARP Credit Card activation requests. We apologize for the inconvenience, please try again later today.

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Regular Contributor

Thank you for the comments on the update - BUT - this is a non-answer statement of the obvious! There is no excuse for this implementation fiasco! We may be retired, but it does not mean we have infinite time to spend trying later today. Unless Barclays / AARP will allow us to bill them for our time.

 

It should have worked right the first time, and we should be happy!

 

Be very concerned, because for every comment on this feed you most like likely have hundreds who are not posters, who are just a mad!

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Periodic Contributor

I tried from 9am to 12 midnite, 6 different times, for a total of 4 hours on hold.

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Periodic Contributor

I've already "tried again later today" after 2 + hours on hold this morning plus a chat where no one can solve my problem. Someone's going to have to step up and do something about the billing declines and other problems we experience because of this. we've been good VISA customers for nearly 20 years

 

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I am almost at 2.5 hours of being on hold.  I have tried to activate our cards half a dozen times, but it keeps sending me to their "relationship experts."  I am sure this was a big lift, but this is ridiculous.

 

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Periodic Contributor

my experience exactly still nowhere

 

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Community Concierge

@CynthiaS735457 I sincerely apologize for your experience with Barclays, Cynthia. This is part of a reported outage within the Barclays system. We recommend that you try to activate your cards again later today. You can also try activating your cards online: http://www.barclaysus.com/activate but please be aware, you may experience a similar outage issue on their site at this time. 

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Regular Contributor

And AARPJanelleM - may I ask - 

1) Is this in any way an acceptable way to be treated by AARP / Barclays?

2) As in any good customer care 'recovery' model - what is the reparation that can be expected from AARP/Barclays?

 

Simply telling us to 'try again' put the issue / problem back on us to solve. IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM! We have the expectation of a professional and seamless turnover. It is no different today - SO.. Escalate to your leadership - we are not happy!

 

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Periodic Contributor

Same experience here.  AARP has gotten many of us into a BIG mess.  And they clearly don't care!!!!

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Honored Social Butterfly

Took me 2 tries to activate card. Took hours to see anything online. Selected my Id but found  Bank had selected one for me. Never could talk to a live person. AARP 800 no help either. Watch out for pin code. I think you need one to use card at service stations. Never had anything like this. A real mess created by AARP and members suffer. This months issue of the AARP  monthly news paper has a lot about  how Cos. are mishandling customers and their phone service. AARP broke every rule for good service listed in the articles. This is a total disaster for the Bank, and AARP and the members are hurt.

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Periodic Contributor

This is the most horrible switchover.  I'm still waiting over 2 hours for Barclay's to answer my call.  Trying to get the system to link to my checking account.   The AARP project manager should be investigated for kickback money and fired for this mess.

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Community Concierge

@wh7197 We sincerely apologize for the extended hold times being experienced today with Barclays. Please try calling them again later. 

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Info Seeker

A CLEAR EXAMPLE of the real truth behind whether AARP really cares about this debacle is seen in HOW THESE COMMENTS ARE HANDLED BY - THEM AARP? Notice there exists only a like button; where is the unlike button; I couldn't find one that works.  You dishonest people did not have the corporate ethics to do what any real legit comment forum does - have BOTH a like and dislike buttons.  Cowards without ethics!

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Periodic Contributor

The kickback (at least part of it) is that Barclays is paying AARP Foundation 1% of our purchases while our benefits are being cut.  Shame.  It's time for this family to find a new credit card company and to change membership from AARP to AMAC.  

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Periodic Contributor

I've been on the phone for hours after the website did not have my information yet.  Cannot get in touch with Barclays at this point to activate my card.  So I'm without a credit card.  Is anyone else having issues activating?

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Periodic Contributor

Yes. 2+ hours on hold with no success in activating card. meanwhile, bills are being declined and a chat with AARP only told me to "try again later today" 

 

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Community Concierge

@PatriciaR647027 Some of Barclays’ customer-facing channels have been reported as down and/or experiencing extended hold times, including online. Please try to contact them again later.

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Periodic Contributor

Yes, and to add insult to injury I just received a bill from Chase in the mail.  Will hope that Barclays sends a bill too and that the payment date will be the same.  If that doesn't happen and there's a penalty of some type, I won't hesitate to go the BBB for assistance.  I may do that anyway because this has been handled so poorly.  

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Can not activate without card

 

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Also never recieved new card to activate also still on hold with them now for 1 hour 45 minutes no response

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Community Concierge

@ElizabethA882288 The phone # for members who did not receive a new credit card from Barclays is 866-677-1563. If you are still unable to get through to them, please try later or tomorrow. 

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Periodic Contributor

I finally got the card activated online.  It may be worth a try for faster access.  Good luck!  

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Periodic Contributor

repeated tries online and I got locked out! Did you have "verification issues" like a date of birth not on record?

 

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Contributor

Yes, so mad about this change. They say my date of birth isn't correct. WTH! I only have one birthdate and it hasn't changed in 68 years! I have tried numerous times to get through to BarclaysUS, been put on hold forever. I will not be a customer of this bank card. Shame on AARP for doing this.

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Community Concierge

@RonH688410 @LindaR681364 If you opened your Chase-AARP credit card account before 2001, there may be delays or an error message due to birth date verification, related to the US Patriot Act.


This verification is for the security and protection of your identity to ensure you are the only person who can access your new credit card account.

You will need to speak to a Barclays Customer Care Agent to perform the activation by calling the number on the back of your card. Please try giving them a call later today or tomorrow when call volume has died down a bit. 

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